Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco: A Complete Relationship Timeline

Barely two hours after confirming her relationship with record producer Benny Blanco, Selena Gomez was on the defensive, arguing with fans on Instagram who questioned whether Blanco, 35, was a good match for the 31-year-old.

“Then why is he the best thing that's ever happened to me,” Gomez replied after a fan shared their disapproval. “He's still better than anyone I've been with," she added, seeming to shade all of her exes.

How did we get here? Good question. Read on for a complete timeline of Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco's relationship, in reverse chronological order, including how they first met, where they are now—and why some fans were so up in arms about the whole thing.

December 8, 2023: Selena Gomez shares a photo of her left hand in which she's wearing a blinged out “B” ring on her ring finger. There is no caption.

December 7, 2023: Selena Gomez comments, “Facts,” on a post from the Instagram account @popfactions, which shared the headline, “Selena Gomez Seemingly Confirms Relationship With Benny Blanco.”

Following her confirmation, Gomez goes to bat for her new boyfriend in the comments of multiple fan accounts, defending Blanco to followers who question whether or not he's a good match for the singer.

“That man was shading you years ago,” one follower quipped, to which Gomez replied, “Lol yeah and he's still better than anyone I've ever been with.”

One fan quotes Gomez's own words back at her after she comes for followers who disapprove of Blanco: “If you can’t handle the hate, then stop posting pictures of your boyfriend lol- It should be special between you two only. Don’t be mad at your fans. They love you and supported you before any one ever did.” Gomez had first written those words on a photo of her ex Justin Bieber and his then girlfriend Sofia Richie back in 2016.

Gomez replies to the quote, “Not mad. It's been 6 months bb. I will always defend my friends family and fans till the day I die.”

Two hours after first writing “Facts,” Gomez posts a selfie in which she's cuddling with a man who appears to be Blanco. Shortly after that, she shares another story with a pointed message to fans: “Just a reminder of how much I appreciate and love each and every one of you,” she writes.

November 2023: Selena Gomez fan accounts begin speculating that the multihyphenate is dating record producer Benny Blanco.

Gomez comments, “Finally,” after Blanco shares on Instagram that he is releasing his cookbook, Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends, with Jess Damuck. She also shares the post to her own Instagram Stories, writing, “One of my favs is releasing a cookbook.”

Fans also notice that her mom, Mandy Teefey, follows Blanco on Instagram. The pair have also “liked” a significant number of each other's posts over the past few months.

Fall 2023: Benny Blanco shares a handwritten note that his “gf” left on his pillow to his Instagram Stories. A woman can be seen sleeping in the background, out of focus, in the photo of the note, which reads, “I am so bloated please do not squeeze/hold onto my waist tonight or I'll fart a hole through the sheets. Love you.” Gomez's fans believe both the humor and the candor of the note align with her self-deprecating style. It is unclear if Gomez is the woman in the background of the photo.

August 2023: Selena Gomez releases “Single Soon,” which was produced by Benny Blanco.

July 2023: Benny Blanco attends Selena Gomez's 31st birthday. She later shares a photo to her Instagram in which the two are standing close to each other, as she reaches back to hold him. She also wraps an arm around Paris Hilton in the photo.

Instagram/@selenagomez

June 2023: Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco begin dating, according to a comment in December 2023 stating that they had been together for six months.

October 26, 2020: Benny Blanco promotes his collaboration with Justin Bieber, “Lonely,” on the Zach Sang Show. During his interview Blanco says, “Justin is not one of those, like, cookie-cutter pop artists; you know they’re, like, ‘This is my new single and here’s my makeup line.'”

Many of Gomez's fans believe the comment to be a swipe at the pop star, who founded her cosmetics line, Rare Beauty, the year prior in 2019.

October 16, 2020: Blanco collaborates with Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez's ex, on the song “Lonely.” Bieber garners praise for the emotional lyrics about the pitfalls of fame at an early age.

March 2019: Selena Gomez works with Benny Blanco (whose real name is Benjamin Levin) on his song “I Can't Get Enough,” also featuring J Balvin and Tainy. The singer stars in the music video alongside her cocollaborators, and shares a cute scene with Blanco, who wears a teddy bear costume.

September 2018: Justin Bieber weds Hailey Baldwin Bieber.

2017: Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber break up for good following a short-lived reconciliation. Their seven-year on-and-off relationship, which began when they were teenagers, is officially over.

2016: Justin Bieber begins dating Sofia Richie after a breakup with Selena Gomez. After he shares a selfie with Richie to Instagram, Gomez's fans swarm his comments, criticizing the relationship. After Bieber asks for kindness, Gomez herself responds, "If you can’t handle the hate, then stop posting pictures of your girlfriend lol- It should be special between you two only. Don’t be mad at your fans. They love you and supported you before any one ever did.”

Bieber deletes his Instagram shortly after, and Gomez later apologizes for her comments via Snapchat: “What I said was selfish and pointless.”

2015: Selena Gomez releases “Same Old Love,” a song written by Charli XCX, Ross Golan, and the song's producers, Stargate and Benny Blanco.